Surface cattle-guard



(No Model.)

P. MERRILL.

SURFACE CATTLE GUARD. No. 426,193. Patented Apr. 22, 1890.

M/z'finesscs: Ina enter:

M I am UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PARKER MERRILL, OF ST. LOUIS, MICHIGAN.

SURFACE CATTLE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,193, dated April 22, 1890.

Application filed January 27, 1890. Serial No. 338,305- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PARKER MERRILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, county of Gratiot, State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Surface Cattle Guards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement on surface cattle-guards, Patent No. 412,967, dated October 15, 1889.

The particular subject of this invention is a new fastening for the ends of the series of separated bars that form the guard, and the manner of fastening said bars after making them properly tense without the use of turnbuckles or nut and thread, all as more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan; Fig. a section on line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is an end elevation at the opposite end from that shown by Fig. 3.

Referring to the lettered parts of the drawings, A A are the beams which support the series of separated bars. They are bent into the shape here shown from strips of boiler-iron, and in the drawings are shown resting upon and spiked to the upper surface of the ties F F F; but they may be fastened to the base of the rails, as in the above-named patent. S S is the series of separated rods forming the guard between and outside the rails D D of the track. The fastening of these rods at the ends after drawing them to the desired tension is that to which this improvement relates. Each rod S is made in one piece with an eye C upon each end. The rods S S rest upon the one end of the guard the rod 13 is drawn up against the bottom of the rails of the track, and the eyes through which it passes rest against the side of the tie, as shown in Fig. 4. The rod B can be strengthened by spike E, driven over it into the tie. The rod B at the opposite end of the guard is forced down by screw-clamps that hook under the tie and over the rod B or by lever-power until the rods S Sare properly tense. Then the rod B is there secured by spikes E, driven over it into the side of the tie, as shown in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I11 a railway cattle-guard, the combination, with two or more transverse beams secured to the ties, of a series of longitudinal rods provided with eyes at each end strained across said beams, and two cross-bars passing beneath the rails and threaded through the eyes of the longitudinal rods, said cross-bars being spiked to the outer faces of the ties supporting the terminal beams, substantially as described.

In testimony of the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name in presence of two witnesses.

PARKER MERRILL.

\V itnesses:

JAMES A. TEMPLER, T. W. WHITNEY. 

